Computer-operated databases are heavily relied upon in many computer automated applications. A few examples of these applications include Automatic Teller Machines, point-of-sale terminals, personal information managers, secured access systems and a variety of telephone network based services. One specific example of a telephone network service that relies upon a computer operated database is the provision of a caller-name announcement service.
A problem that is inherent in many computer-operated databases is that the amount of processing time associated with updating and maintaining the database can be exorbitant. Because databases generally are dynamic, in that the data within the database must be modified periodically, the elimination of this overhead is not feasible. Without being maintained, the data within a database can quickly become obsolete. The bulk of the effort required in maintaining a database is the process of adding new entries into the database and removing entries that are no longer useful. Thus, there is a need to automate the updating process of a database to benefit applications utilizing a computer-operated database.
A specific example of a computer automated application which relies on the use of a computer-operated database is the provision of a caller-name announcement service within a telecommunications network. Caller-name announcement is a recent improvement in calling party identification services similar to what is known as "caller ID". Calling party identification is a technology that allows a called party to identify the originating source of a call prior to answering the call. Typically, an individual must become a subscriber to the calling party identification service and purchase custom equipment. The custom equipment is connected to the subscriber's line and is used to detect and display information which identifies the caller. In operation, when a subscriber's telephone begins to ring, the subscriber can read the display on the caller identification equipment and identify the number and/or the name of the calling party.
In the caller-name announcement service, when a call is received by the phone system, the identification of the calling party is provided by using an announcement message rather than a display. Typically, the announcement message will be an audible recitation of the calling party's name; however, other types of messages can also be utilized. When the subscribing party answers the phone, the announcement message is delivered and the subscriber may be given the opportunity to accept or reject the phone call prior to the parties being connected.
Caller-name announcement service is beneficial over prior calling party identification methods because it does not require the purchase of custom equipment, but rather utilizes standard telephone receiver equipment. In current operation, when a subscriber is called, the calling party will be prompted to recite an identifying message such as the calling party's name. This message is then recorded and delivered to the subscriber when the call is answered. A disadvantage of present caller-name announcement services is that the process of prompting for and receiving the calling party's name is an inefficient utilization of bandwidth. The approximate amount of time required to prompt for and receive the calling party's name is on the order of 8 to 10 seconds. During this holding time, a completed voice channel required. Thus, the time that a channel is dedicated to this process prevents its use for actual communication.
The use of a computer-operated database in conjunction with the caller-name announcement service can operate to alleviate the wasted bandwidth of present caller-name announcement systems. By storing an identifying messages from each caller into a database, the time required to prompt for and receive the identifying messages can be reduced; however, it is readily apparent that the overhead associated with the maintenance of such a database can be significant. The database would have a tendency to grow rapidly because each call from a new party will result in a new entry being created for the database. If there are a large number of one time callers, the database could be filled with information that is never or seldom accessed.
The issues identified with the dynamically changing database are not unique to a caller-name announcement service application. The overhead associated with maintaining a database is common to most computer automated applications. Maintaining a database is a continuous task and usually is the responsibility of a human operator. If the operator is busy or negligent, the database can become unmanageable. Furthermore, the amount of time required in maintaining a database may increase the cost of operating expenses for certain applications. Therefore, there is a need for a method which can automate the maintenance of a computer-operated database. Further, there is a need for a method to minimize the overhead required for maintaining a database.